New py5 Release: 0.10.3a1

New Feature: Live Coding

There's one big feature: Live Coding. The basic idea is to have a live coding environment where you can write and modify your py5 code and see the results in real time. This is a feature that I've wanted to add to py5 for a long time and I'm excited to finally have it in the library. It is designed to support rapid prototyping of ideas and experimentation. You'll be able to write code in an editor or Jupyter Notebook and see the results in a running Sketch immediately, without having to exit a running Sketch and then start a new one.

I'm not going to repeat all of the details here, but you can read more about it in the Live Coding documentation page.

Closed Issues

Here are the closed issues:

• #17 can now do a complete run-through of all of the reference documentation example code

• #490 py5 now does a better job of accepting valid static mode code

• #501 a small improvement to the Py5Shape.get_children() method

• #506 Correct variable description for vertex() methods

• #507 Use __all__ correctly in the py5_tools module

• #528 Improve error messages for invalid named colors

Most of these issues are pretty small. You may infer from the low number #17 that I closed out an old issue; happily this one fixed itself somewhere along the way. Now that that's done, I'm better positioned to address unit tests for py5.

Processing Library

Processing hasn't yet had a new release so py5 is still dependent on the same Processing fork I used for the previous few releases. I'd still like for my code changes to get merged but am not at all worried about it now. It will be taken care of soon...you'll see.

Sponsor Py5coding on GitHub

Like py5? Want to help support further py5 development? Consider sponsoring py5 on GitHub.

I started working on py5 over four years ago when the pandemic lockdown started as a way to manage my anxiety about the ordeal. Since then, py5 has grown into a full-featured tool for creative coding that is used all around the world. I'm grateful for the support of everyone I've met who helped py5 grow into the useful library that it is today. I love working on this, but it does take a lot of time and is very much like a part time job for me.

I'm not going to pressure anyone into becoming a sponsor and I do ask that if you are struggling financially for any reason that you don't sponsor py5. But if you are in a position to sponsor py5, please consider doing so. Your sponsorship will help me continue to work on py5 and make it a better tool for everyone to use!

And if you don't want to sponsor py5, that's totally fine too. How about a GitHub star instead? The py5 and py5generator repositories could use a star from you!

What's Ahead

I'd like to do one more release before the end of the year. I expect to be busy with holiday stuff, but I should have time to implement a new angle_mode() method, similar to what py5 has. Also, I imagine a new feature like Live Coding will have some bugs that will be reported within a few weeks. I'll need to address those as well. Stay tuned!